Welcome to the NLSC Forum! This is our official discussion forum where you can talk about NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games. Whether it's talking about your experiences playing the games, providing a critique of them, asking for help with them, or releasing patches and mods for them, this is the community for you!

We also have a section where you can talk about the real National Basketball Association and other basketball leagues, and a general off-topic section where you can talk about other video games, sports, television, movies, and anything else that isn't related to basketball and basketball video games. Come for the basketball video games talk, stay for the off-topic chatter!

To ensure that everyone enjoys their time here, and we remain a friendly and productive community, we do have a list of rules that must be followed by all NLSC Forum members. Please note that we enforce these rules whether you take the time to read them or not, so it's your responsibility to familiarise yourself with them.

Rude or threatening remarks and behaviour. There's nothing wrong with disagreement and debate, but keep it on-topic and leave out the nastiness.

Using your signature/avatar/custom title to abuse other members.

Use of the Private Messaging system to attack or threaten fellow posters. If someone is abusing you in this way, please use the Report Message function to let us know about it.

Needlessly insulting comments about patches and mods. We want to be a supportive modding community, so constructive criticism is welcome; abuse, however, is not. Being rude when requesting mods, seeking help and advice, or asking about releases, is also out.

Racial, ethnic, cultural, or other slurs, and hate speech in general. No, we're not going to be the "PC Police", but we do ask all of our members to respect one another, and not engage in any nastiness or discrimination. If it's something you wouldn't like said to you, don't say it to other people. Furthermore, those remarks tend to start arguments that derail conversations, which spoils a good discussion for everyone. We ask that you approach any discussions of “sensitive” topics with maturity and common decency.

Please note that flaming should not be confused with debating a topic enthusiastically, which is perfectly acceptable and to be encouraged. We can tell the difference, and we will handle the situation accordingly. Please also note that starting topics for the purpose of flaming or "calling out" Forum members is also against our rules. Looking to start a fight is not on, and won't be tolerated.

Don't spam, examples of which include:

Excessive posting, ie. in an effort to increase your post count. We're moving away from having a rigid rule about double posting, but please note that it's still preferable to edit a post if you think of something you'd like to add immediately afterwards, rather than posting three, four, five, or more times in a row. Making multiple posts to respond to different posters individually is fine.

Posting the same question in multiple threads, in multiple sections of the Forum. We appreciate you might be eager for an answer, but forcing your issue into an unrelated conversation is rude, and posting it all over the Forum is both annoying and makes it difficult to provide help in a concise and organised manner.

Nonsense posts that add nothing to the discussion, or attempt to throw it off-topic for no good or constructive reason.

Posting in a thread only to say “Who cares?”, “Boring topic”, or something similar. If you’re not interested in the topic, don’t post in the thread. Just move on.

Paid advertisements for websites or products, as well as referral links for products, services, online games, and so on. If you're not sure whether something that could be considered promotional is fine to post, please contact an administrator to double-check.

Making off-topic posts to promote websites or flooding the boards with announcements. Please note that you are welcome to link to your website in your signature as well as post announcements/bulletins in the NLSC Hub, but we don’t need to hear about it in every single thread in every single section.

Bumping threads that are still new and near the top of the first page (especially with posts that simply say "bump"). You may not always get an answer straight away, so please be patient before bumping a thread; anything under a day is way too soon, a week is more acceptable.

Reviving old threads ("grave digging") when you have nothing new or constructive to add to the discussion. Please also take care when bumping old release threads; if the person who posted the work hasn't been around in a while, they probably won't be able to provide you an answer. If no download link was ever posted and the person previewing the work is long gone, there's not much use in requesting a link be posted.

Please post threads in the correct section. When in doubt, check the descriptions on the Forum’s index, or contact a moderator. We appreciate that not all sections are as active as others but the Forum has been divided into categories for a reason. If you a feel a thread could possibly belong in more than one section, please pick the one you think is most appropriate (if it isn't, we'll move it to the right place as soon as possible).

Posts are deleted and threads are locked for a reason. If your thread is locked or your post deleted, please do not post it again. If you’re not sure why this has happened, please contact a moderator rather than making a big public fuss about it. Note that when a thread is locked, we’ll usually post a short explanation as to why, assuming the reason is not obvious.

Please note that requests for original game files are also against the rules, as they facilitate piracy. Restore from a backup, copy the file from your game disc/refresh the game's files through Steam, or reinstall as necessary.

Don’t post media that depicts pornography, graphic violence, dead bodies or any other content that's Not Safe For Work or objectionable. Also, nudity that's tastefully obscured still tends to get us in trouble with Google, so please just avoid posting anything risque.

Respect the privacy of other Forum members. Don’t post any details that a fellow member has not publically made available such as real names, email addresses, instant messenger details, phone numbers, addresses, credit card numbers and other personal information, as well as any photographs that have not been publicly shared.

This also includes posting the contents of private conversations including instant messenger chats and emails, without the permission of the other person. If it was kept private, it was done so for a reason, and the only reason to post it publicly would be to cause embarrassment and drama. Posting anything confidential, either in whole or verbatim, will be considered a violation of this rule and dealt with accordingly.

No drama/public fuss, such as inflammatory and tantrum-like posts when you're not happy with something. Please do not use us to settle arguments with members and staff of other websites. Making a fuss about a warning or ban, and nasty criticism of the site are also out, as is campaigning on behalf of a banned Forum member; that's for them to sort out with us. If you have issues with the site administration or any other concerns, please contact us and raise them in a civil manner. Rude and threatening emails or private messages, and scathing public posts intended to call out staff and cause a big scene will not work to your advantage, and won’t be tolerated.

Credit must always be given when using someone else's work in a patch or mod, unless a user has specifically stated that their work is open source and/or no credit is required. Ideally, you should also ask permission first, as someone members are not comfortable with their work being modified or used in other projects.

Having said that, we do encourage our modding community to adopt an open source approach as much as possible, in an effort to create better work and promote cooperation. To keep things friendly, it's a good idea to keep an open mind about other members using your work, and to always be willing to give credit when you use someone else's work. Please see the Permission & Modding Etiquette section below for more details.

Charging money for mods and patches is not allowed. Beyond simply not being the "done thing" in our community, it also invites legal problems, as profiting off someone else's intellectual property and likeness is illegal. As long as we're not charging for updates, the developers are happy to look the other way (and sometimes even quietly support us) when it comes to modding.

Please note that while you are free to take the risk of charging for patches on your own site or blog, you may not promote it here with any links. Donation links and tip jars are acceptable, but releases cannot be held for ransom in demand for donations (thus indirectly charging for them). Please see the Donations & Advertising Links section below for more details.

No uploading junk to our Downloads section. This includes fake mods, and malicious files. If you make a habit of abusing our upload facilities, you may be barred from using them, and further action may be taken depending on the situation. If you try to use us to spread viruses and other malicious files, you may be banned without warning.

There is a limit of one account per user. Any additional accounts being used to spam, flame or otherwise break the rules will result in banning both the new and original accounts. New accounts created by any returning banned members will be banned without warning upon detection. If you've forgotten your original log-in details, please get in touch with us so that we can give you access to your account.

We appreciate people helping us out and pointing new members in the right direction, but please don't go overboard in scolding them, or engage in armchair moderating. If something requires our attention, please use the Report Post button.

The NLSC is an English speaking website, so all public posts must be in English. If you'd like to chat to fellow Forum members in a language other than English, please use the private messaging system.

Warnings

Warnings are reserved for more serious infractions and are the last steps towards a ban. As such, they will not be issued for minor slip-ups, and are not to be taken lightly when they are issued. If you receive two warnings in the span of a week, or three warnings in the span of a month, then we may subsequently permanently ban you without further warning.

Note that you are not automatically entitled to three warnings before you are banned. If your behaviour in the Forum is disruptive and unacceptable, or you break one of the rules that warrants an immediate ban without warning (see below), you may be banned immediately without further warning. Warnings indicate that you're very close to a ban; if you step over the line before any warnings are issued or before further warnings have been issued after your first, then we will go straight to a ban.

Banning

If a member continually refuses to abide by the Forum rules after being warned by an administrator or moderator, we reserve the right to ban their account. We also reserve the right to ban accounts without warning depending on the nature of the situation (see below). Bans are a last resort punishment for troublesome members and will not be used to deal with minor or accidental infractions. For example, posting topics in the incorrect section is a minor infraction, and quite often an accident or a common mistake made by new members unfamiliar with the Forum structure, while flaming, spamming and discussing illegal downloads or activities are considered more serious violations of our rules.

Most bans are permanent but we may elect to hand down a temporary ban depending on the circumstances. Bans are handled on a case-by-case basis, so if you generally follow the rules and contribute to discussions we’re more likely be a bit more lenient as we strive to be fair-minded. If you’re a frequent troublemaker who abuses Forum staff and generally refuses to follow the rules and push your luck, then we’re not going to be as lenient.

The following situations may result in a ban without warning:

Frequent and/or excessive rudeness and nasty behaviour. In short, be civil, or be banned. If you're constantly causing trouble, you'll be shown the door sooner rather than later.

Requesting, discussing, or posting illegal downloads. Depending on the exact nature of your post and to what extent you talk about illegal downloads, we may choose to simply give you a warning or a temporary ban. If your first post is requesting a crack, chances are you will be banned. It's a good idea not to introduce yourself to the Forum by breaking a rule.

Flaming out. If you decide to make a nasty post on your way out of the Forum, it will be assumed that you will not be returning. Note that this does not apply to posters going on hiatus or bidding their fellow members a cordial and respectful farewell. However, if you dislike posting here enough to post scathing insults on your way out, then you obviously don't want to be here any more, and frankly, you're not someone we want to see come back.

Signing up only to spam, post pornographic content, etc. Since it's obvious such members aren't here to make good use of the Forum, they will be banned immediately. Spam bots will be dealt with as soon as possible.

While we strive to be consistent in upholding the rules, please be advised that rule violations are handled on a case-by-case basis, according to our established policy, as well as a poster’s previous rule violations, the severity of the violation, and their general behaviour and demeanour in the Forum. If you’re a constant troublemaker, you will draw more attention to yourself than someone who behaves themselves, and we won't be inclined to be as lenient.

Signature & Avatar Limits

Signature images must not be larger than 600 pixels wide by 200 pixels high.

The content of your signature must also comply with all Forum rules. Please limit yourself to one large image (or a single embedded video) in your signature. Anything bigger than 3 MB is inconsiderate to other members, and may be removed. A reasonable amount of imagebars and/or text links may accompany a large image, but the total size should not exceed 350 pixels.

Avatars are restricted to 200 pixels wide by 200 pixels high, and no larger than 500 kB. These limits are automatically enforced by the Forum. Any attempts to circumvent the enforced limits will result in the removal of your avatar. As with signatures, the content of avatars must comply with all Forum rules. Some posters have avatars that are larger than these limits, due to the avatars being uploaded when different limits were enforced, which are now grandfathered for those users. If and when those users change their avatars, the new limits will apply.

Custom titles are currently reserved for members who have been registered for 30 days and have a minimum of 100 posts. As with signatures and avatars, custom titles must abide by the Forum rules. Should a user’s custom title break any forum rules, it may be removed and custom title privileges revoked at our discretion. We may also elect to grant a user custom title privileges without the usual qualification. NLSC Team Members have a custom rank that permanently displays a Team Member "badge" regardless of any custom title, to easily identify them as members of staff.

Modding Etiquette, & Credit/Permission

As mentioned above, we do encourage everyone to adopt an open source approach when it comes to creating patches and mods. It makes for a friendlier and more productive community when we can all share resources and help each other create better updates for the game. However, some modders are uncomfortable with their work being modified or re-used in other projects, so a good rule of thumb is to ask permission first, just to make sure there are no issues.

If you do forget to ask permission, or the person who made the original work is no longer around or otherwise difficult to contact, it's a good idea to include the appropriate credits just in case. Please note that some members openly offer up their work as open source and do not require credit to be given. This is at the discretion of the individual.

Generally speaking, we also encourage everyone to resolve disputes and issues with credit cordially. If you remove the work or provide appropriate credit, usually that will (and should) be the end of the matter. If you refuse to show the appropriate etiquette and give credit where it's due, then further action may be taken.

Donations & Advertising Links

Users may place donation (or "tip jar") links in their signatures, release threads and in the description of uploads. However, directly or indirectly charging users for patches (ie. withholding releases until a certain amount is donated) is not allowed. Spamming donation links or pestering/bullying other users into making donations will also not be tolerated.

Links utilising http://adf.ly and other advertising linking services may be posted in the NLSC Forum, and added to the Downloads section as external links. Users are responsible for the content advertised in these links, and may not use services that advertise pornography or other content that violates the Forum rules. adf.ly is currently the recommended service, but feel free to contact the Forum administrators to clear the use of other services.

Reporting Posts & Messages

If a public post or a private message is breaking the rules, please use the Report button to let us know about it, and we will take action (if appropriate). Please note that abuse of the Report function (such as nonsensical reports, or reporting users simply because you don't like their opinion) is against the rules, and we'll take action against that as well.

Please also note that you can report your own posts, in case you'd like your own thread to be locked or it needs to be moved.

Spambots

Occasionally, spambots will break through our defenses and either create or reply to topics with advertising posts. When this happens, please just report or ignore them. Replying to them just means more for us to clean up, as those replies will be left behind when we delete the spam accounts and all of their posts.

The following is an outline of how various rule violations are handled by the NLSC Forum Staff.

THREADS IN THE WRONG SECTION

This is often done by accident or by new members who are unfamiliar with the Forum structure and organisation so it is considered a minor infraction. Posts that are made in the wrong section will simply be moved to the appropriate section. If it becomes a habit, or a member refuses to post in the correct sections, a warning may be issued.

MULTIPLE THREADS ON THE SAME TOPIC IN MULTIPLE SECTIONS

Although this does fall under the category of spam, it is still considered a minor infraction since it’s often done by new posters who aren’t aware of Forum etiquette. One thread will remain in/be moved to the correct section and left open while the additional threads will be deleted.

SPAMBOT ADVERTISING THREADS

These threads will be deleted. We ask that you don't reply to spam threads as it just means more for us to clean up when we delete the spam accounts and all of their posts. Also, spambots don't care if you yell at them.

NEW THREADS FOR TOPICS THAT ALREADY HAVE THEIR OWN TOPIC

When two threads are created to discuss a topic (such as a player trade), the thread with the fewest replies will be merged into the thread with the most replies. In the event that both threads have the same number of replies, the most recently created thread will be merged into the one that was posted first.

LOCKED THREADS

Examples of threads that will be locked include:

Threads that request illegal downloads.

Additional threads that cover a topic that has already been posted, such as discussing a trade or asking about NBA Live release dates. Note that these posts may also be merged rather than locked to reduce clutter.

Threads that contain objectionable content or have been started to incite trouble or flame out of the Forum.

Threads that the original poster has requested to have locked, such as Dynasty Threads that have been discontinued.

Threads will not be locked for the topic "evolving" or the discussion heading off on different tangents but if some of the posts are too off-topic, merit their own separate thread or are inappropriate for the section they’re being posted in, they may be split from the original thread and if necessary moved to the correct section.

FLAMING

While we do not want to encroach on anyone’s freedom of speech or prevent anyone from participating in a discussion enthusiastically and passionately, there are limits on what will be allowed especially when personal attacks begin to dominate and get in the way of a discussion. In this event, all parties will be asked to stop the personal attacks and stay on topic. Further warnings will be issued if the personal attacks do not stop and the offending posts may be split from the main topic if necessary. Frequent offenders may also be subject to further punishment.

BANNING

Banning members is a last resort when troublesome individuals refuse to comply with the Forum rules and continue to cause a nuisance. Members who frequently break the rules and display a pattern of poor behaviour will be warned against their actions and of the consequences, except in situations where an immediate ban without warning is specified in the Forum rules.

Please note that all bans are permanent unless otherwise noted and any attempt to circumvent the ban control will result in new accounts being immediately deleted without warning. Bans may be appealed but please note that while you have the right to appeal, you may not have the grounds to have your account reinstated.

DOUBLE POSTING & THREAD BUMPING

We've relaxed our stance on double posts, though we do recommend editing your previous post if you immediately think of something you want to add. We ask that you be patient when waiting for a reply as not everyone is online at the same time and not everyone has the same knowledge or interests. Reviving threads that have been inactive for a while should also be done with good judgement and only when you have something relevant to say about the topic. As noted in the rules, responding to multiple people in separate posts is fine.

If a member double posts with an identical message it is most likely an accident. The extra post will simply be deleted.

Posts that are spamming will generally be deleted, with an explanation. Multiple posts in situations where editing the previous post would be more appropriate will be met with a friendly reminder about Forum etiquette.

Posts that simply say "Bump" are strongly discouraged. Please see our Rules for more information about thread bumping.

If there is an issue with an old thread being bumped, it will be pointed out. Unless it's become a habit or there is some other infraction, it's usually not a big deal.

AVATAR, SIGNATURE & CUSTOM TITLE VIOLATIONS

If your signature, avatar or custom title violates any Forum rules you may be asked to change it, however we reserve the right to remove them ourselves without warning.

ABUSE VIA PRIVATE MESSAGING

Using the private messaging system to bypass the Forum rules and abuse other members will not be tolerated and will be addressed by the Forum staff when it is reported. Continuing this behaviour will result punishment such as the member’s private messaging privileges being revoked, or their account being banned.

Last edited by Andrew on Sun Feb 21, 2016 3:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason:Amended February 21st, 2016